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Topic: 2009: Worst Distribution Year Ever? (Read 9747 times)

I live just south of STL. Gotta say, that it definitely does take work and effort to find things (at least find them early). I'd rather find this stuff at the stores than online any day though, because that adds to the thrill of getting something new.

I have never missed on a single figure at retail, but that's because I go on a bit of a toy run practically every day of the week, and have a good number of Walmarts, Targets and TRU in my area. I absolutely have to be persistent, but I've always had to be. I can't expect to go on just one run every two weeks and count on finding anything in the stores that I don't already have.

Ordering online and getting a package full of figures is pretty cool though...it's like having little Christmas mornings sporadically all year...

I enjoy the thrill of the hunt too much so I only order new stuff online as a last resort - or if I'm very impatient on whatever item. I'm at a Target every single day of the week, but I'll go on crazy hunts on weekends when there's a bunch of new stuff hitting.

I've gone to mostly online ordering as well. I've had good luck with both BBTS and HTS, and have almost always gotten the figures a few weeks before retail (if not more). I enjoy finding stuff at retail as well, and still do my CW figure hunting that way, but the Legacy stuff is just so spotty anymore. We have three Wal-Marts, three Targets, and one TRU in town - so there aren't a ton of stores to choose from. Plus the fact that I really only visit three of those stores (1 WM, 1 Target, and TRU) on a regular basis, since the others are a bit more of a drive. Like some have already mentioned, it is tough to find time for "toy runs" these days - especially with a little one and all of that. Once the next wave of exclusives (like the AT-ST and Dewback) start hitting, I'll probably try to do that a little more though.

I ordered the TPM wave from HTS and today, naturally, I find them at Target. Only the AOTC wave has been absent here, which has to be the first MIA wave in these parts since... end of run POTJ. It's been more challenging this year for sure. I'm getting to where hunting for it is less and less fun (but finding stuff always is), so ordering online is fine for me.

I live just south of STL. Gotta say, that it definitely does take work and effort to find things (at least find them early). I'd rather find this stuff at the stores than online any day though, because that adds to the thrill of getting something new.

I have never missed on a single figure at retail, but that's because I go on a bit of a toy run practically every day of the week, and have a good number of Walmarts, Targets and TRU in my area. I absolutely have to be persistent, but I've always had to be. I can't expect to go on just one run every two weeks and count on finding anything in the stores that I don't already have.

Ordering online and getting a package full of figures is pretty cool though...it's like having little Christmas mornings sporadically all year...

Not arguing with that - I still order online from time to time. I just don't rely on it as my main source of figures is all I meant.

1. I've noticed that several new waves of Clone Wars figures seem to be hitting stores at the same time. Will the upcoming Legacy waves be released in a similar fashion to ensure they make it to stores by the end of the year? It seems like a pretty tight schedule to release five waves of figures in four months.

Answer: We don't know for certain how the Legacy/Droid Factory waves will flow out, only because sales have really been dropping on this line compared to Clone Wars, and we do not know when (we won't say *if*) all of the planned waves will be able to get to retail. We are doing our best to try and read the landscape and adjust to release quantities to get everything out. We are committed to manufacturing every wave we have shown, so even if distribution at retail is spotty, it should be available through online retailers.

That is really ******* bull**** if you ask me. Things don't sell if they can't be found or bought in the first place. Hasbro seems to really be out to kill the Legacy line for some strangely odd reason. Clone Wars sells - yes it does I give them that. You know what the f- doesn't? The loads of Legends they think does.

Total bunch of **** on this answer....

edit - no need to circumvent the language filter since you can turn it off if you want to see the "bad" words. jls

Yeah, this year is pretty bad. I remember never finding the Commtech Motti/Leia wave, nor the TC-14 wave at retail, and POTJ was pretty spotty at the end there, but now there's going to be what, 5 waves of stuff in absurdly limited distribution? I'll agree this has been the worst year, but I think we saw it coming once CW became a hit. I just wish it wasn't at the expense of the best product Hasbro has ever done.

I have never missed on a single figure at retail, but that's because I go on a bit of a toy run practically every day of the week, and have a good number of Walmarts, Targets and TRU in my area. I absolutely have to be persistent, but I've always had to be. I can't expect to go on just one run every two weeks and count on finding anything in the stores that I don't already have.

Yes, it's much better to be persistent & waste time & gas by going on daily toy hunts at multiple stores. It's for the "thrill" of finding something new. Makes so much sense...

I'm doing ok on "once-a-week" toy runs and then just hitting the local stores when I'm out anyway... But yeah, if I could get things online (Hasbro would be my preferred way, honestly), without the hastle of extras, I'd probably be more keen on that... I do at times, but it's become more out of necessity than anything since new waves of figures are a rarity right now.

Hasbro's very honest answers in the QNA this week about their doubts on prodouct levels and distribution for Legacy, and the fact they're not shipping any to Canada, has nudged me toward pre-ordering everything online. I don't do as many runs as I used to, and I think HTS will be as a good a source as any, but I'm not taking any chances.

Hasbro's very honest answers in the QNA this week about their doubts on prodouct levels and distribution for Legacy, and the fact they're not shipping any to Canada, has nudged me toward pre-ordering everything online. I don't do as many runs as I used to, and I think HTS will be as a good a source as any, but I'm not taking any chances.

That's probably the smart thing to do as a collector. My concern is that when sales rates decline at retail because we're all ordering online, there will no longer be any reason for retailers to carry anything but CW for the kids. If its not turning fast enough at Wal-Mart and Target, the Legacy line will go away.

Yes, it's much better to be persistent & waste time & gas by going on daily toy hunts at multiple stores. It's for the "thrill" of finding something new. Makes so much sense...

Well, it makes a lot more sense than assigning the same DPCI # to multiple items so that customers can't call up on the phone and confirm what specific items are actually in stock.

The absurdity of the retail inventory system, coupled with the gross incompetence and unwillingness to help exhibited by most retail employees, essentially demands in person stock checks at multiple outlets, at least if you want to be assured of scoring whatever limited quantity of new product they decide to throw out to the shelf.

I think the sarcasm is misplaced. Why does it matter how other people see fit to spend their time and money in pursuit of their hobby anyway?

Logged

Slice you open like a tauntaun, faster than the Autobahn, Or a motorbike in Tron, do the deed and then I'm gone.

Yes, it's much better to be persistent & waste time & gas by going on daily toy hunts at multiple stores. It's for the "thrill" of finding something new. Makes so much sense...

Well, it makes a lot more sense than assigning the same DPCI # to multiple items so that customers can't call up on the phone and confirm what specific items are actually in stock.

The absurdity of the retail inventory system, coupled with the gross incompetence and unwillingness to help exhibited by most retail employees, essentially demands in person stock checks at multiple outlets, at least if you want to be assured of scoring whatever limited quantity of new product they decide to throw out to the shelf.

I think the sarcasm is misplaced. Why does it matter how other people see fit to spend their time and money in pursuit of their hobby anyway?

Don't worry about FG - he only shows up once in a while to make himself feel better by putting others down. That's why he can't fathom that people might be going to Target or Wal-Mart for other shopping needs for some of their trips or that people might actually like getting their butts off the sofa togo browse the toy section. Heaven forbid you should be more than ten feet from your toilet or your fridge FG!

I used to make plenty of store runs on the hunt in my younger days and there was definitely something of a "rush" in finding new stuff in person at the shelf. These days, I have much less time and can rely more on the JD network to help track down new stuff locally. For me, the internet is just another option to help track things down if all else fails or a good deal pops up.

I think the sarcasm is misplaced. Why does it matter how other people see fit to spend their time and money in pursuit of their hobby anyway?

Your time will be better spent staring at the wall than answering any of his replies. Listen to JJ, he nailed him to a T.

I do not have the drive to hunt like the old days but I love buying this stuff more than ever. Persistence has always been a part of collecting SWs. I was just reminded of that with the WM Droid Factory line. It seems future realistic stuff will be trickier to get for awhile with Hasbro's cutback. Dark times these are.